facebook pixel


What is the name of the primary antagonist in The Lord of the Rings?
Question image
Sauron is the most iconic villain of Lord of the Rings. He is the master of Mordor, and leads the armies or orcs who plague Middle Earth.
How many members of the Fellowship originally set-out from Rivendell?
Question image
After the Council of the Ring, held at Rivendell, the Fellowship of the Ring sets out. It is made up of representatives for each of the free peoples of Middle Earth: 4 hobbits, an elf, a dwarf, 2 men, and a wizard. That makes a total of 9.
Which actor played Gandalf in the movies?
Question image
Sir Ian McKellen was praised for his portrayal of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, but most fans don’t know just how much of Middle Earth he took with him. Ian confessed that he actually stole Gandalf’s staff, and he proudly displays it at his pub, “The Grapes.”
Who directed the most famous film adaption of the Lord of the Rings trilogy?
Question image
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was directed by the Peter Jackson. Before filming, Jackson was a relatively unknown director in Hollywood, having helped make only a few small films. After the trilogy's incredible box-office success, though... Well let's just say his life has probably changed somewhat...
How does Sam know Frodo?
Question image
Description: Before their epic quest to destroy the One Ring, Frodo and Sam have a much... simpler relationship. Sam was Frodo's gardener at Bag End.
How many Ringwraiths are there?
Question image
The Ringwraiths, or Nazgûl, are the corrupted spirits of great Kings of Men who were turned dark by the power of the Ring. They answer only the call of Sauron. There are 9 Ringwraiths, one each for the 9 rings of power that Sauron gave them.
True or False: Gandalf is rescued from the Tower of Orthanc by Sam and Frodo.
Question image
False. Gandalf escapes Orthanc on the back of Gwaihir, the Lord of the Eagles.
In which country was the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy filmed?
Question image
Peter Jackson, the director of the trilogy is a New Zealander... so it should come as no surprise that he pushed to use the stunning landscape of his homeland as the backdrop for his epic fantasy series. And based on the incredible uptick in tourism that New Zealand received after the films were released... I'd say it worked out well.
JRR Tolkien said he wrote out all three Lord of the Rings books using one strange technique. What was it?
Question image
Tolkien typed all 1,200 pages of The Lord of the Rings with two fingers. Next time someone says you're not typing right, you know how to respond.
Which of these LOTR villains was originally written as a kind figure, before Tolkien changed his mind?
Question image
olkien originally wrote Gollum as a kind figure, who offers Bilbo the ring as a prize for solving his riddles (when they first meet in Gollum's lair in the Misty Mountains). Later when Tolkien began writing successive works, he realized the ring would have to be a more corrosive influence. That being the case, it would no longer make sense for Gollum to give his precious up so easily. So Tolkien re-wrote the chapter.
Which of these bands once attempted to make their own big-screen adaption of the LOTR books?
Question image
In the 1960’s, The Beatles wanted to make a Lord of the Rings movie adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick but Tolkien rejected the idea. They had already cast the movie (Paul as Frodo, Ringo as Sam, and George as Gandalf and John as Gollum) when the final nail in the coffin came from Tolkien himself, who said he wasn’t a fan of the collaboration.
Who was the only person involved with the LOTR movies who actually met JRR Tolkien?
Question image
Christopher Lee (Saruman) the only person involved with the Lord of the Rings films who had actually met Tolkien. He met him by chance at a bar in Oxford. Imagine how cool that conversation must have been.
Which of the Lord of the Rings movies won an Academy Award for Best Picture?
Question image
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the first and only fantasy film ever to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, has said he based his performance on...
Question image
Andy Serkis claims he based Gollum’s desperation on the withdrawal of heroin addicts.
True or False: No CGI was used in the making of the LOTR movies.
Question image
False! There is plenty of CGI in the movies— particularly in the battle scenes. Many of the effects were done practically though. To that end, around 10,000 prosthetic facial appliances, over 3,500 pairs of hobbit feet, 2,500 foam body suits, 1,200 suits of armor, 2,000 weapons and 10,000 arrows were made to film the Lord of The Rings trilogy.
JRR Tolkien’s daughter said that she believes her father’s description of the Dead Marshes was based on...
Question image
RR Tolkien’s daughter said that she believes her father’s description of the Dead Marshes, a treacherous bog littered with thousands of corpses, is actually a description of his experience in World War I.
Which Lord of the Rings actor earned their part by creating a home-made costume and recording their audition tape while wearing it?
Question image
Elijah Wood created his Lord of the Rings’ Frodo audition tape in the woods with a homemade Hobbit costume.
Which set of movies had a higher budget: the original LOTR trilogy, or the Hobbit movies?
Question image
The budget for the first two “The Hobbit” movies is almost twice the budget of the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Which of these actors turned down the role of Aragorn?
Question image
Nicolas Cage passed on the role of Aragorn because of “family obligations.”
True or False: Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood never filmed a scene together in person.
Question image
"I never worked with Elijah Wood," McKellen confessed. "He was the main part in Lord of the Rings, but he's smaller than me, so we could never be together."
Which of these LOTR actors performed their own stunts, and used a real steel sword for their fights scenes?
Question image
Mortensen did his own stunts and used a real steel sword while filming, rather than one made from aluminum and rubber like the rest of the cast.
How did sound technicians make the horrible screeches of the Nazgul?
Question image
The horrific Nazgul screeches, which torment characters throughout the series, were made with a surprisingly simple technique: sound technicians just recorded the noises of cheap plastic cups being scraped together.
Which member of the Fellowship was played by the tallest actor?
Question image
At over six feet tall, John Rhys-Davies (who plays Gimli the dwarf) is the tallest actor in the fellowship.

Your Results

Massive Fan

You’ve clearly been studying your LOTR trivia. Do you watch the movies every weekend? Sure, a few of those questions got past you… but that’s because we made this as hard as humanly possible. And you still did pretty dang well. Good on you.

Tolkien Himself

Have you found some way to make a living off this knowledge you have? I mean your Lord of the Rings expertise is shocking. You must actually be JRR Tolkien himself. Who else could have such deep knowledge and understanding of the most obscure details from the series? Very impressive… well done.

Happy With Your Test Score? This video can help you do better on any quiz... even if you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the topic.

Quiz

The Lord of the Rings is that rarest of things: a piece of fiction as fun as it is deep, and as moving as it is wildly entertaining. It's perhaps for that reason, beyond anything else, the series has had such monumental impact on the hearts of fans... as well as its outsized influence on fantasy fiction for the past 60-odd years. But Tolkien didn't just set out to tell a genre-defining story—as much as anything else, the author wanted to build a world. At that, he truly excelled. The LOTR series is littered with information that alludes to a story going back hundreds and hundreds of years. So the question is: how much do you know about Middle Earth? Time to find out...

More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.